Pressure builds on Defence Force to remove deadly asbestos

By Ben Doherty

January 9, 2009 — 5.00pm

ALL asbestos should immediately be removed from Australia Defence Force bases and equipment, Australia's union movement has demanded, as pressure builds on the ADF to belatedly rid itself of the deadly, and banned, carcinogen.

While the Federal Government has ruled out an immediate ban on asbestos in the ADF, it has promised to "accelerate" its removal programs. The Government is also considering holding a national inquiry into asbestos.

But Australia's main asbestos disease body has said that nothing short of a royal commission was needed to investigate systemic navy mishandling of asbestos, which has potentially exposed thousands of sailors to the hazard.

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Fairfax Media this week revealed nearly 250,000 suspected asbestos parts were still in naval stores, despite their being outlawed since 2004.

A secret report to defence chiefs — obtained by Fairfax Media under freedom-of-information laws — found "thousands of personnel" had likely been exposed "and the consequences are potentially catastrophic".

Dave Oliver, national secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union — the union that represents Defence Department workers and contractors — yesterday wrote to Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon and acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard calling for an immediate ban on the use of asbestos in the ADF.

"Our members who are employed or contracted to the Defence Department are being exposed on a daily basis to this deadly fibre — five years after the national ban on asbestos was introduced in Australia. This is unacceptable," he said.

Promises by Mr Fitzgibbon that asbestos use would be phased out from the forces by 2010 were inadequate, Mr Oliver said. ACTU president Sharan Burrow said it was shameful that the ADF was putting military and civilian lives at risk. "The Federal Government must immediately enforce the ban on the Defence Department continuing to use and store asbestos," she told Fairfax Media.

The AMWU and ACTU have also called on the Government to set up a national inquiry into asbestos and asbestos-related diseases in Australia.

Mr Fitzgibbon said the Government would consider holding a national public inquiry into asbestos, in light of the damning defence revelations and community concern.

"The Minister for Workplace Relations (Ms Gillard) has indicated that she will take advice and consult with members of the Government and the states and territories in consideration of a national inquiry into asbestos," he said.

But the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia has argued that a royal commission was needed to expose the "culture of cover-up" in the navy. "The navy has known asbestos kills since the 1940s — that they are still using the product simply beggars belief," president Barry Robson said.

"The navy has basically knowingly exposed servicemen and women to a deadly disease for decades and hundreds of service personnel have been exposed, suffered and died from asbestos disease."

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is due to open the Bernie Banton Asbestos Research Institute at Concord Hospital in Sydney later this month.